Why is Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F/2.8G ED VR II better than Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F4E PF ED VR? 30% wider aperture at minimum focal length? f/2.8 vs f/4.0 It is pretty clear that the new 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens is noticeably sharper wide open when compared to its predecessor. Take a look at the center performance, where the lens shows a noticeable boost in sharpness at f/4. Stopped down to f/5.6 and smaller, the newer lens performs slightly better, but the difference is barely noticeable. Nikon 300mm f4 PF VR vs. 300mm f2.8. May 15, 2018. Hello! Im considering the Nikon 300mm f4 PF VR and was wondering how you would compare it to the legendary 300mm f2.8. I understand the 1 stop of light you are giving up, but was also wondering about IQ, color, contrast etc. I'm thinking of changing from my Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR I to a Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR for reasons of portability, ease of handling and speed when in action. I mostly use the 300mm for Indoor sports (aperture isn't that much an Issue in the venues I shoot) and for event work (if we ever get events ever again). The simplified answer is that there are two main differences. The most obvious difference between an f/2.8 and an f/4 lens is in their "brightness", i.e. in the maximum amount of light each lens allows to reach the sensor. Another key difference lies in the depth of field. An f/2.8 lens would usually be capable of giving a more shallow depth of 4) Useful for dog and cat and even human portrait photography outdoors. 5) In summary, the 400/2.8 can easily be turned into a 560/4 which is a wash for a bare 600/4 lens, but with much better MFD. The 400/2.8 is a very flexible and useful lens. The 600/4 is less flexible and less useful. has a silent focus motor built into the lens. Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS. Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD. Lenses with built-in focus motor focus faster and more quietly than lenses without a focus motor which rely on the camera's body focus motor. minimum focus distance. Comparing center sharpness the 2.8 lens is much sharper wide open at f2.8 than the f4 lens at f4. I would not hesitate to use the 2.8 wide open in any situation at that aperture, it is very sharp. Stopping it down a little to f4 produces an image that is as sharp as any image from the other f4 lens at any aperture. This Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S is for the photographer who shoots on a tripod. It's the perfect 300mm lens for the sorts of people who love to shoot raw and demand the absolute highest technical image quality. It certainly will be sharper than a 70-200mm VR II and TC-14E. Personally I prefer to travel light, and shoot the 28-300mm VR instead. Verdict. The AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4.0E PF ED VR is Nikon’s long awaited successor to the venerable and now 14-year-old AF-S 300/4.0D. The new lens is much smaller and lighter than its predecessor – in fact even compared to any other full-frame 300/4.0 lens currently on the market. And it sports Nikon’s latest version of VR image stabilization. 68x6Dgj.